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Network Games In The Morning - Would they Survive?

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Skynet74:
Let's flashback 20 years. A great time for Games with Full Game Show Blocks on every Network. Let's pretend each Network makes a full commitment to air Game Shows in the morning again. Let's say 10 to Noon Eastern or 9 to 11 Pacific. Just like the good old days. All New versions of our old time favorites such as Match Game, Password, Scrabble and perhaps some totally new shows in the mix. How successful do you think such programming would be in the year 2004? Has the public got so used to talk show drivel that such programming that aired twenty years ago would not work with todays audience (or) do you feel that this would be a change that viewers would embrace and welcome? In your mind would it be successful? I would like to hear your thoughts.


Thanks,

John

beatlefreak84:
As a hard-core game show fan, I would naturally say, "Of course they would succeed in the daytime!"  But, that's not what you're looking for, I assume!  :)

One thing I should say first:  At my school, I usually eat dinner around the time WOF, FF, and Pyramid come on.  We do have a place in the cafeteria with a big-screen projection TV, so I usually put it on whatever game show is on at the moment, and, whenever I look around, I notice something peculiar:  Whenever any other show is on TV, other people around the TV don't really look; they just do homework.  When a game show is on, EVERYBODY looks and most people will stay and watch until the end, even if they're all ready to go.  I find this amazing, especially since this has happened EVERY TIME I've put on a game show.

From the above, I've concluded that, as much as people hate to admit it, they love game shows.  What's more, they love game shows that challenge their brain; this reaction above doesn't happen with any of the relationship game shows.  So, if the networks went back to shows like they had in the '80s, I think it would be a modest success.  It won't be groundbreaking success, but I think it would probably match the numbers that the talk shows get, and maybe do a little better.

Everybody whom I've talked to says that talk shows, especially the trashy ones, are getting old, and they're looking for a change.  Why not daytime game shows?

Anthony

P.S.  I had a friend over today, and, even though she doesn't watch game shows, she STILL sat down and watched until the end of "Nick Arcade!"  And, no, I didn't make her do that!  :)

Little Big Brother:

--- Quote ---All New versions of our old time favorites such as Match Game, Password, Scrabble and perhaps some totally new shows in the mix.
--- End quote ---

Password: Yes.  Scrabble:  Yes.  Match Game:  Do we really want to walk down that path again?  I think the initial appeal of the original MG was the shock that the audience had when the answer was "Boobs".  Granted, that word still makes me giggle, but the guilty pleasures and schoolyard snickering that MG '7x had just can't be recreated (also, the celebrities had a bit more personality and were less grating than, say, Judy Tenuda).  But I digress, we could debate the merits of MG '98 for hours on end, but that wasn't your question.


--- Quote ---How successful do you think such programming would be in the year 2004? Has the public got so used to talk show drivel that such programming that aired twenty years ago would not work with todays audience (or) do you feel that this would be a change that viewers would embrace and welcome? In your mind would it be successful?
--- End quote ---

Although game shows remain popular, I think networks would be reluctant to persue morning game show programming with good reasons.  First off, I doubt any opposing network would really want to go up against TPIR.  Last season, the NBC affiliate in Detroit put Pyramid and Weakest Link in the 11-Noon slot.  TWL is gone and Pyramid was shuffled over to the UPN station at 9 am.

Second, I'm not 100% sure how affiliate/network relations have changed in the past 20 years, but it seems that the affiliates have a lot more control over when programming happens.  In Detroit, Guiding Light comes on before TPIR so that CBS62 can get an early start on the afternoon court shows (My sweetheart Marilyn Milian and The People's Court are in the 3PM slot).  This has been the style on 62 ever since court shows hit it big in the mid 90's, and I doubt that they want that changed.

Thirdly, although we rank game shows above court shows and talk shows, other people that make up the TV audience may rank the three differently.  Both the affiliates and the network want to provide a mix that will satisfy the most number of viewers and advertisers.  Also, if another company is producing shows for your station, you only have to pay for the subscription, which is significantly cheaper than production costs.


--- Quote ---I would like to hear your thoughts.
--- End quote ---

I would too :-)

DrJWJustice:
[quote name=\'Little Big Brother\' date=\'Dec 17 2003, 10:49 PM\'] Match Game:  Do we really want to walk down that path again?  
 [/quote]
 (snip)

Why not walk down the path again?  Only this time, let's get it right!  Pearson missed the essence of the show when they tried it in '98 (and let's not forget a near total lack of advertising).  Sure, our humor today is a bit more sultry than it was in the '70s, but I don't think the 'shock' value of answers like 'boobs' is the sole thing that kept us glued to the screen for nine years.  People tuned in to watch a half hour party on TV every morning.

Let me put it another way -- I've helped produce live versions of the program at three national Boy Scouts of America conferences.  The kids couldn't get enough, and we are talking about kids who barely out of diapers when the '90 version aired, let alone Gene's classic being long-since gone.

Point being, the show can work, but it needs the right atmosphere, the right chemistry among the celebs and the right type of humor.  Granted, that's far easier said than done, but I do think it's worth a go.

The Ol' Guy:
Another thing to consider - during those "golden days", the networks shared revenues with affiliates for carrying the shows. As the networks cut payments back, the locals had to make it up. One of our NBC affiliates dropped a half-hour of net in the morning to carry the then-new Narz version of syndicated Concentration. As one of the managers put it, if we carry a net show, we can only sell one minute of local commercials. If I can buy Concentration for about $35 a day and sell 90% of the ad time and get about the same ratings, then we'll drop a weaker net show anytime. So if a net show was quite hot, you might get some affiliates to hang in there. If they could do equal or better with a syndicated or local product, they'll go for the revenue. I would imagine the mass defection of affiliates due to revenue sharing issues was a major factor in the demise of many of our favorites. The nets would have to really give affiliates a good reason and a good lineup to let them take over that air time.

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